Emails to Dad on Dec20,2011 and Jan.3,2012

Just found out that Dad has been getting emails as well so we are including those dated Dec 20,2011 and Jan 3, 2012


Dec 20, 2011
thanks so much dad.
i love you so much. ya we get to play basketball and volleyball here but no soccer. i think the brazilians are more angry about that then us. except i get in trouble all the time cause youre not allowed to dunk or spike the volleyball. i had to talk to secretary to the president about it. they were really pissed but i dont know what they expect when were stuck in here for 24 hours and there cramming portuguese down our throuats and one time in the day we get to get a little aggression out. im having an awesome time and my district has its struggling moments so im learning that a good attitude can really help others to get through trying times much easier. these people really do look to me to be a leader and at times i struggle with it cause there all great guys but im begining to see that the Lord has other plans for me and i cant just sit around and slide by in the corner now cause elders look to me for direction. its pretty stressful but the Lord does give me strength.
love,
elder bennett


Jan 3,2012

thanks for the support pops,
o dont worry bout that language ill have it down in two months. our teacher tells us that he had a student who was terrible at portuguese and didnt really work very hard and saw him when he had been out in the field for only six months, including two in the CTM, and he was speaking beautiful portuguese so he says if you work hard love the people and have faith then youll have it down in 4 months. im expecting 3 so hopefully it starts coming. you can go ahead and tell the family that ill be home next year ;) i love you and thanks for always being such a good example to me in my life. ya done raised me right and im grateful for that. this experience of being out here is finally fine tuning me as a man and i can feel myself growing immensly in all aspects of life. the other day two elders in my district who are companions started fighing with each other at the same table as me while we were studying and i loved every second of it. one of them being by far the hardest working kid in our district and never takes any breaks and really sometimes never stops to enjoy that hes in brazil and the other is still a hard working elder he just takes more time to have fun so they got into an argument about work ethic and potential and i couldnt help but just smile and laugh to myself cause i realized how much i loved every second out here. where else will you find two 19 year old young men on this earth fighting about work ethic and styles on how to teach and when to say this or when to study that. its great. every second your learning something and you dont even know it. imagine the wisdom thats learned from them in that fight. theyll be better at working with each other and how to cope with different styles. how to work harder and for the other how to take breaks. me and my companion have verbal quarrels all the time and whats wrong with working something out and being so passionate about something. nothing. this place is turning us into the most qualified, hard working, gentle, spiritually in tune, passionate, loving, and caring men and we dont even know it.

love you dad,
- Elder Bennett